Communication is a big part of Formula 1. Today’s drivers need to know complex terms and various acronyms. But what would happen if a driver confused one term with another? George Russell knows.
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In a recent interview, he told a story involving his close friend Alex Albon and Japanese driver Nirei Fukuzumi.
“Alex thought it would be fun to teach him that understeer is actually oversteer and that oversteer is understeer.”
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Since Fukuzumi did not have a good command of English, he believed Albon. This, as one can imagine, created quite a situation for Fukuzumi.
“It’s been quite a mess for a couple of weeks,” said Russell, bursting into laughter.
“… he would have probably won the championship if it hadn’t been for Alex,” he joked.
Albon did so in a good mood, of course, but this anecdote from Russell is a reminder of how closely and long the two drivers have been connected.
George Russell and Alex Albon close, but in different boats
Both drivers made their Formula 1 debut in the same year in 2019, but their careers went in different directions. While George Russell will make his much-anticipated move to Mercedes in 2022, Alex Albon will replace him at Williams.
The Briton impressed everyone with his pace in the Williams and especially during his one-off Mercedes outing in Bahrain, where he would have won the race without bad luck.
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – Great Britain’s George Russell and Mercedes GP prepare to start the grid ahead of the Sakhir F1 Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Peter Fox / Getty Images)
In the case of Alex Albon, bad luck came in disguise. The Thai-British driver, who has shown impressive performances in the Toro Rosso, has been promoted to Red Bull. However, the team lost patience and confidence in the 2019 Rookie of the Year and replaced him.
So Albon ran out of seats in 2021 and had wasted a year (or two) of his career.
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A big season for Albon & Russell in 2022
The coming season will be decisive for both drivers. George Russell will try to compete with the very best at Mercedes at the top of the grid and Alex Albon will try to showcase his talent at Williams next year.
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In his second F1 stint, Alex Albon may have George Russell’s career path in mind. If he impresses at Williams, Albon could get the big guns attention again and find a car that suits his talent, just like his pal.
The post George Russell reveals how Alex Albon’s antics cost his friend a junior title first appeared on monter-une-startup.
